Prevalence of Moderate and Acute Suicidal Ideation among a National Sample of Tribal College and University Students 2014–2015

Abstract

Objectives

To examine the relationship between suicide risk and hazardous drinking, depression, and anxiety, adjusting for demographics, among tribal college students across the United States. Methods. We invited tribal college students enrolled in 22 tribal colleges from fall 2014 and 2015 to participate in the Creating Campus Change study, a cross-sectional online/paper survey assessing alcohol use patterns and mental health outcomes. 3,239 students participated in the survey, yielding a response rate of 31.3%. We assessed alcohol use, depression, and general anxiety, along with demographic characteristics. We used the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview to assess suicide risk. Results. 8.5% indicated moderate or high suicide risk. In the final adjusted model, moderate/high depression was significantly associated with moderate/high suicide risk (OR = 6.64; 3.91–11.28, p < 0.001), as was moderate/high general anxiety (OR = 2.80; 1.58–4.97, p < 0.001), and moderate/high hazardous drinking (OR = 2.09; 1.19–3.66, p < 0.001). Conclusions. Students attending tribal colleges who report moderate/high levels of depression, anxiety, or hazardous drinking have a greater risk of suicidality. Identifying factors buffering the risk of suicidality could support policy changes necessary to address this critical public health issue.

Keywords:

• suicide risk
• American Indians and Alaska Natives
• disability status
• social support
• resilience

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to acknowledge our Tribal Colleges and Universities community partners, whose collaboration and participation were instrumental in planning and implementing the study, as well as contextualizing the data for this paper. In alphabetical order, our partners for the TCU Student Epidemiology Survey Study are: The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (Washington, DC), Bay Mills Community College (Brimley, MI), Blackfeet Community College (Browning, MT), Diné College (Tsaile, AZ), Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College (Cloquet, MN), Fort Peck Community College (Poplar, MT), Ilisagvik College (Utqiagvik, AK), Institute of American Indian Arts (Santa Fe, NM), Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (Baraga, MI), Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College (Hayward, WI), Little Priest Tribal College (Winnebago, NE), Navajo Technical University (Crownpoint, NM), Nebraska Indian Community College (Macy, NE), Northwest Indian College (Bellingham, WA), Oglala Lakota College (Kyle, SD), Red Crow Community College (Cardston, Alberta, Canada), Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (Mt. Pleasant, MI), Salish Kootenai College (Pablo, MT), Sitting Bull College (Fort Yates, ND), Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (Albuquerque, NM), Stone Child College (Box Elder, MT), United Tribes Technical College (Bismarck, ND), and Turtle Mountain Community College (Belcourt, ND).

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this project was from a grant by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities [Award Number 5P60MD006909].

Notes on contributors

Myra Parker

Myra Parker, Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Bonnie Duran

Bonnie Duran, Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Isaac Rhew

Isaac Rhew, Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Maya Magarati

Maya Magarati, Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Leo Egashira

Leo Egashira, Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Mary Larimer

Mary Larimer, Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Dennis Donovan

Dennis Donovan, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.